Halestorm’s Lzzy and Joe: The Living Room Sessions tour … I read somewhere recently that Lzzy Hale said that this tour was a love letter or a gift to the fans. There honestly isn't a better way to describe it. I had the chance to see them at their stop in Springfield, MA on January 24th, and it's taken me just about two weeks to crystallize my feelings into words. To say the show was special doesn't even begin to capture what it was.
It truly felt like you were in their living room, with a couch and even a record player that Joe himself was spinning tunes on before the show. We loved watching him pop out to turn the album over or put on a new one. (Side note: this is the only opening act I ever want again, no matter who the band is, forever) The interaction with the audience was personal, real, and honest. In between the songs we were given glimpses into their lives and hearts, and it was the most personal experience I have ever had at a rock show.
I’ve been a fan of Halestorm since I first heard them back in … 2009? 2010? I’m not positive on the details, but I remember that I was in the kitchen taking care of my children, and someone I knew reached out to tell me I simply had to hear this new song on the radio. It was "I Get Off", and I was immediately hooked. My first show was 2011, when Halestorm opened up for Bullet For My Valentine at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. They met everyone who wanted to talk to them out by the tour bus after the show, and I’m fairly certain they hung out talking for almost two hours. I even brought Lzzy a shirt from my roller derby team - a nod to the roller derby featured in the video for "It’s Not You".
Fast forward 14 years, and I’ve seen them over 30 times. I’m including these details so it is extra clear that when I say that The Living Room Sessions were special, it means they absolutely were.
From the first notes of their opening song "White Dress" to the triumphant ending on "Here’s To Us" - arguably Halestorm’s most iconic closing song - it felt like you were surrounded by friends. I guess, in a way, we really were. The intimate setting and the way Lzzy and Joe connected with both us and each other lent itself to feeling like you’d been allowed into a private space, a sacred space.
Lzzy Hale is already well known as one of the best voices in rock, but in this stripped down acoustic setting her vocals seemed to shine even more. It was so obvious that what we had in front of us were authentic, highly skilled musicians who didn’t need backing tracks or anything artificial: it was just pure rock & roll, and all heart.
They played through a downright inspired setlist of Halestorm classics like "I Get Off", "Mz. Hyde", and "Rock Show" and also peppered in a few perfectly executed cover songs. Lzzy recently fronted the band Skid Row for a few shows live, and so "I Remember You" was a welcome cover, especially for those of us who hadn’t gotten to see those Skid Lzzy shows. Their cover of "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga - a gem from Halestorm’s first covers EP - was a song I always wanted but never expected to hear live. "Gold Dust Woman" was nothing short of magical, as they truly captured the essence of the song.
Nothing prepared me for the ending. They started "Here’s To Us", and Lzzy waved over a couple of fans who wanted to take selfies by the stage. This show had assigned seats, so there was no rail. My friend and I got up to go try to get one of those stage selfies, but then we immediately realized that Lzzy was waving the entire audience up. She wanted us out of our spots and up at the stage, so we all obliged. She reached down, grabbed our hands, made eye contact, and somehow from the stage included all of us in the song as we were singing it right back to her. I’ve always marveled at how personable all the members of Halestorm are, and Lzzy took this quintessential moment and made sure each one of us felt seen. "Here’s To Us" was truly US in that room, in that moment.
If this tour was that love letter, that gift to the fans from Lzzy and Joe, then I hope they felt that same sentiment coming right back to them from all of their fans. Here’s To Us.
Setlist:
White Dress
Mz. Hyde
I Like It Heavy
I Remember You
The Reckoning
Familiar Taste of Poison
Dear Daughter
I Get Off
Gold Dust Woman
Love Bites (So Do I)
I Miss the Misery
Rock Show
Girl Crush
Do Not Disturb
Bad Romance
Here’s To Us
Crowd Photos by Shawna Lupoli
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